


Cleanup On Aisle Love

by Magicalgirlcomplex



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, Fluff, Hawaiian Hunk (Voltron), Heith - Freeform, Hunkeith, M/M, Oblivious Keith (Voltron), Steamy, and lots of SMOOCHES, jk jk, keith/hunk, kunk, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 19:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7857376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magicalgirlcomplex/pseuds/Magicalgirlcomplex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A wrong turn ends up with Keith being forced to grocery shop in an unfamiliar store. After ruining a display with his equally destructive roommate, Lance, he locks eyes with the man of his dreams for the very first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cleanup On Aisle Love

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic as a gift for a friend of mine, who also helped me come up with the title, lol. Please enjoy this fluffy little one-shot about two dorks falling in love. \0/

The afternoon sun beat down on Keith's rust bucket of a car. The engine hissed and sputtered along with the bugs basking out in the summer sun. This paired with the noise of Lance's shitty pop music rattling the speakers on Keith's 4-banger (known only as Red, for her chipping red paint job) only worsened the dark haired boy's pounding headache.

"Lance! Turn that shit down! I can't even hear myself think!" Keith sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to calm his road rage in this bumper to bumper traffic. "Not to mention I already have a headache from that stupid party you convinced me to go to." Keith didn't understand why he kept going to Lance's obnoxious parties. He always ended up on the other side of town, lost and hung over. 

 

Lance pulled the shades that were strategically keeping the sun from his sensitive eyes and allowing him to catch a few z's when Keith ceased nagging him down to the bridge of his sharp nose.

 

"Hey, I didn't make you down all that booze, man. All you." Lance pushed his shades back up, revealing Keith's disheveled reflection to him. Keith quickly ran his fingers through his hair at the sight of his tangled mullet.

 

"What else am I supposed to do? If you haven't noticed I'm not a 'social butterfly' such as yourself. It's boring just sitting there watching you hit on every pair of boobs that gives you a second glance." Keith slammed his hands on the wheel as some asshole blocked him from changing lanes, forcing him to miss their exit. He muttered an apology to Red, stroking the dashboard lovingly. 

The blue eyed passenger gasped loudly, clutching his chest in shock.

 

"How dare you! And by the way, I'll have you know that you would have plenty of fun at parties without getting shit faced if you didn't act like you were better than everyone all the time. Maybe try having a conversation with someone some time Mr.'I'm top in my class and I have a rocking body and all the ladies want me!'" Lance threw his hands in the air, exasperated and offended. Keith rolled his eyes and scoffed.

 

"Whatever. What's for dinner?" The violet-eyed man attempted to change the subject for the sake of his own sanity. He turned on Red's blinker, determined to make this exit.

 

"Aw, shit." Lance cursed, groaning and rubbing his eyes. "We don't have anything to eat back at the apartment." Lance could feel Keith growing more and more aggravated with every passing second. The driver honked and flipped off someone who came dangerously close to putting another dent in Red's armor. "Chill Keith, Chill! Look there's a supermarket right there! Just pull in and I'll make something really good! What do you want? Stir fry?" Lance grinned nervously.

 

"That's racist." Keith grumbled, though admittedly, it did sound good. "Shouldn't have left shopping up to you. You're lucky we happened to pass by a store." The duo turned into the rickety little supermarket. It was the centerpiece of a small shopping center that could have been mistaken for being abandoned if not for the lights shining from the inside and the few cars littering the parking lot. They walked into the store. Lance, as punishment for forgetting the groceries, was pushing their basket. The cart Keith chose, much to Lance's dismay, was adorned with the dreaded 'wonky wheel', which spun madly in circles as lance struggled to keep it going forward. Keith haphazardly tossed groceries in as he saw them, walking a bit too quickly for lance to keep up with due to his buggy issue. Keith muttered a half-assed 'heads up' before tossing a package of lunch meat over his shoulder. Now, on a normal day, Lance could have easily caught the package, which was now soaring at him at an alarming rate, in his cart. But, today was not any normal day.

 

Lance jolted forward in an attempt to sink the package into their half-filled basket, but the broken wheel from hell sent him left at break-back speeds, barreling right into a pyramid of discount soups. The deafening sound of aluminum cans crashing to the floor alerted the few employees scattered throughout the aisles. The partners in crime, now caught red handed so it seemed, made eye contact with a store employee. His sheer stature was enough to make the two boys break out in a cold sweat, he was tall and built, and had a large scar stretching across both cheeks and the bridge of his nose. The muscular man rubbed his temples in aggravation, seemingly collecting himself in an attempt to remain polite. One could practically hear him chanting 'the customer is always right to himself mentally. When the man finally spoke, his voice boomed across the store.

 

"Hunk!" The man barked, "Cleanup on aisle 10!"  No need for an intercom with a voice that powerful. Keith and Lance, who at this point were scrambling to catch all the runaway cans, prepared themselves for the hell this 'Hunk' was about to rain down on them. Both boys knew what they would do if they had such a mess to clean up at the expense of some other idiots. They just hoped the 'Altea-mart' employee would have a more merciful heart.

 

"Seriously?" Keith heard footsteps approaching them, but he couldn't convince himself to pick his eyes off the ground. Instead, he locked onto a certain can which was fleeing the scene at an unbelievable speed. When Keith finally caught up, his arm shot out towards the can with a satisfied 'gotcha!' but, much to his surprise, Keith grabbed not only the soup but a large, tanned hand in the process. His head snapped up, someone with hands so big could probably swallow him whole, or so Keith thought. Though, when Keith finally did look up at his can collecting collaborator, he got an entirely different impression of the man. First off, whoever named this guy was dead on when choosing the word 'Hunk'. He was a good head taller than Keith himself, with deep olive skin that seemed well maintained (Keith noted that he must drink a lot of water) and eyes that were far beyond a simple 'brown'. It was more like a warm caramel, with deep earthy tones and flecks of gold radiating from his dark pupils. 'Hunk' was carrying multiple cans under one arm already. Keith took notice of the muscles bulging underneath and out of the short sleeves of his uniform. He had a strong jawline, soft stomach, and- 

 

"Hey man, you alright?" Back in the real world, Keith came to the abrupt realization that he had been not only gawking up at this beautiful man for a good thirty seconds but that he had his hand in a death grip over the soup can the entire time.

 

"Uh, yeah." Keith answered as he pulled his hand away sharply, making Hunk flinch a bit. The three of them collectively re-built the soup pyramid in all its glory after some searching and strategic stacking. Once everything was back in order, Lance and Keith made their way to the checkout, which was currently being manned by the worker they came to know as Shiro, an assistant manager of the store. The rhythmic beeping of their things being scanned lulled Keith off into his own little world. Which was trying, again and again, to revolve itself around the idea of that worker from just before. He just felt so, comfortable somehow. Hunk's eyes made Keith feel almost the same way he did when he finally got to plop down on his bed after a long day of working on the campus, or those far between caffeine breaks in between study sessions. With warm, dark coffee and soft music.

 

"That'll be $42.68" Shiro's voice once again brought the dazed college student back to Earth. He and his roommate put their crumpled bills together, scrounging the exact change from the caverns of their pockets. Shiro counted the bills. "Did you two find everything okay?" Keith nodded chastely but, per usual, Lance had something to add.

 

"Actually, there is one thing we do need." Lance informed the worker in a matter-of-fact tone. "this guy-" he slung a lazy arm around Keith. "Is in desperate need of his number." Lance shot a finger gun in Hunk's direction. Everything was silent for a moment.

 

"Should I... Should I go get him?" Shiro's eyebrows furrowed, it was a slow day though (even more so than usual) so it couldn't hurt to go along with their little game... whatever it may be.

 

"Yes, definitely." Lance almost purred, leaning over the counter. Shiro gave Lance a quizzical look and, after being sure the register was shut, went off to fetch Hunk. In that next moment, the lanky boy felt the heat of 1,000 suns melting a hole in the back of his head.

 

"Lance, what the FUCK!" Keith hissed, grabbing him by the collar. Lance raised his hands in defense.

 

"Keith, buddy, my man, I'm doing you a FAVOR! You'll thank me later!" Their moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. 

Keith released Lance immediately upon realizing Hunk was the one clearing said throat.

 

"Uh, Shiro told me to come over here...?" Hunk informed them. He seemed quite confused, Shiro was probably too embarrassed to tell him exactly WHY he was needed over there. Lance nodded,  pulling Keith close with an arm around his shoulders.

 

"My main man, Keith, here felt really bad for knocking your can pyramid thingy over-"

 

"I knocked it over?!" Keith interrupted, he was met with a finger to his lips. Keith would have to throat punch Lance for that later.

 

"And he wanted to make it up to you, by buying you dinner sometime!" The brunette nodded at his own flawless lie.

 

"Nah, it's cool." Hunk denied him with a wave of his large hand.

 

"What? Why?" Keith blurted out, regretting it almost instantly. Hunk shrugged, explaining how it wasn't really a big deal, and that it happens all the time. To most people, Keith's expression would have seemed completely stoic, like it didn't really matter to him either way. Hunk, though, was more considerate than most people. The larger man was better at reading people than he seemed, and could tell that Keith was a bit... offended? No more like, disappointed? Hunk pursed his lips.

 

"But, uh..." he rubbed the back of his neck, playing with his shaggy hair. "I mean, if you're that worried about it, you can make it up to me." Keith's eyes perked up again. Lance wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, lapping this up like it was a late night novella. "You can maybe like, come around more? It gets kinda boring here... having regulars makes it more bearable I guess." Keith could have sworn that Hunk's tanned skin was glowing with a slight blush. The pale boy could feel his own face heating up as well, though it would be much more obvious with his almost translucent complexion.

 

"Sure thing, big man." Keith nodded, carrying all the bags out with some sort of new found strength, making it out the door before either of them could say anything else.

 

"Well, uh, see ya I guess!" Lance saluted his fellow man then turned quickly on his heels, desperately trying to catch his roommate before he sped off home without him. "Keith! What the hell, man, wait up!"</p>

 

According to Lance, Keith should wait approximately a week until he showed back up around the supermarket again. "You'll seem desperate!" he insisted, "Everyone knows this, Keith, it's like... dating code!" Lance's hands shot up in the air, he had a funny habit of talking with them far too often.

 

"That's stupid." Keith informed him, throwing on his shoes. People often didn't make sense to the guy. Who made up all these 'rules' and 'codes' for others to follow? How did everyone seem to get and understand things that he didn't? Just the thought frustrated him. Keith was the type of person who didn't have much to hide. Though sometimes his expressions are a bit hard to read, the blunt boy was never one to beat around the bush. His... whatever this was, with Hunk, would be no different. "He asked me to come around more, so I'm going." his lanky friend let out a grand sigh, plopping back onto their sofa with a dramatic hand draped over their face.

 

"Fine, go on, leave. But don't come crying back to me when you weird out your little crush."

With that, Keith was heading back to trusty Red. Her engine purred under his touch. It was another searing day in mid August, so riding in his car sans air-conditioning wasn't going to be fun, but luckily it wasn't too far of a drive, a bit less than 10 minutes. When Keith finally pulled up to the store he was a bit sweaty, but nothing too bad. (he hoped) The boy fixed his windblown, inky black hair in the side view mirror before taking the short walk across the parking lot and into the store. He wondered whether Hunk would actually be there or not. Keith figured he would be able to meet him again if he went there around the same time as yesterday, but when he finally got into the store he was unsure. His sharp eyes scanned the near-vacant aisles. He wandered around a bit, eventually finding a slushie machine and wondering 'why the hell not?' before making himself one, it would give him an excuse to walk around aimlessly a bit longer. After a good half hour of looking, Keith figured if he hadn't seen him yet, he wouldn't at all. Only one check out light was on, Keith headed there with exact change ready, just wanting to get out of there before he made an even bigger ass out of himself.

 

Keith was greeted by someone behind the counter, bespectacled face buried in some sort of mechanic's manual. He stood there for  a bit, waiting to be helped. When no such help came, he resorted to waving his hands around to catch the person's attention.  They turned to Keith, pushing their glasses back up onto their nose. Keith could finally see their name tag which seemed to have been scratched out and replaced with 'Pidge' in some of the worst handwriting the guy had ever seen. The wild-haired teen behind the counter gave Keith a crooked grin.

 

"Hiya." They greeted. Pidge dog-eared the page they were on. "That gonna be all for ya?" Keith gave a curt nod as Pidge punched some numbers into the machine. There was a light cough behind them. Pidge turned their attention to the source of the noise, which was none other than Shiro. The built man gestured towards their customer, raising their eyes in an exaggerated manner. Pidge nodded in understanding. "So you're the Mullet Guy I've heard so much about." Keith self-consciously flattened the hair that was flipping up in the back.

 

"Uh, I guess. Is this about the can thing?" His thick eyebrows furrowed. Pidge put a finger to their lips thoughtfully.

 

"You could say that." They leaned over the counter, round nose nearly touching Keith's. Their emerald eyes were judging, piercing back into Keith's amethyst ones. "You would be his type, wouldn't you." Pidge noted, that crooked grin creeping back onto their face. Keith glanced around to find that all of the employees had disappeared. His confusion only worsened.

 

"So, why'd you decide to come back here?" Pidge interrogated.

 

"What are you talking about?" Keith retorted.

 

"Why did you come back? We haven't seen you around before then suddenly..." Pidge imitated an explosion with their hands, "Poof, here comes dat boi, back to back."

 

"But... You weren't here yesterd-"

 

"Just answer the question." Pidge interrupted. Keith pressed his mouth into a hard line.

 

"I don't know. The drinks are cheap?" Keith shrugged. This kid was being a bit too nosy for his liking. He put the money down on the counter. "Can I go now."

 

"One, you're a terrible liar. I know you're here for the store's resident sunshine boy, also known as Hunk." Pidge snickered at how Keith stiffened at the mention of Hunk's name. "And two, yes, but before you do, here." The green-eyed devil handed Keith a folded up piece of paper, on the cover it said 'Top Secret Info' in that same terrible handwriting. He took the paper reluctantly, putting it in his back pocket before walking off with the cup that once held his cherry slushie. "Just know, I'm always watching, Wazowski! Always watching." 

 

Keith exited the store, the tiny doorbell ringing was the cue for the few other workers to come out from hiding.

 

"So?" Shiro pried, leaning against Pidge's checkout.

 

"Eh, he's harmless." Pidge assured, opening their book once again. Once Keith was safely out of the store, he turned his attention to the crumpled paper in his hand. He unfolded the paper once, then again, and again, again, and for the fifth time.

 

"Was all that really necessary?" He cursed the grinning heathen in his head. Keith smoothed the paper out. The handwriting on the inside was different than the writing he had seen twice before. Written in wide letters across the top of the lined paper was 'Hunks Weekly Schedule.' Keith crumpled the paper in his hands, his burning face seemed to make the late afternoon heat wave even more unbearable. He felt a bit ashamed, shoving Hunk's schedule into his back pocket, but it wasn't weird of him, was it? He remembered Lance's earlier comment. Keith stopped at red's door, turning the key over in his hand. The light glittered off its silver surface before being shrouded in shadow. He looked up, meeting eyes once again with that guy from yesterday. Hunk.

 

"Hey! You actually came!" Hunk looked off to the side as if trying to recall something. "Keith?"

 

"Hey, big man." Keith shoved the paper further in his back pocket. "I was actually just leaving. Came to get a drink." Keith shook the empty cup.

 

"Ah, that sucks. Pidge and I switched shifts today, so looks like we just missed each other." Hunk waved at someone behind him. Keith turned to see the devil themselves, who proceeded to stick their tongue out at him. "Anyways, I gotta run. Come see me tomorrow, though!" Hunk ruffled Keith's hair and then he was gone.</p>

  
  


The thin paper containing  Hunk's schedule had been worn thin from Keith's merciless folding and unfolding. He had memorized the schedule at this point, but he kept finding himself looking over the paper again and again. Keith noticed the way Hunk always forgot to dot his i's, and how his words sometimes jumbled together, probably due to him rushing to jot down his hours. Keith realized he was already in too deep. He debated whether he should really go back tomorrow to see Hunk. His mind said no but, as usual,  his gut had full control. So the next day, a bit after 11o’clock Keith was grabbing his keys, and lacing his shoes to go back up to ‘Altea-Mart.’

 

In all honesty, what Keith was doing was completely reckless. Wasting his gas, time, and money going back and forth to the store Sunday through Friday, (minus Wednesdays and Thursdays, he had class then)  to go see this guy he knew nothing about, and wasn’t even sure liked him, that way. Though something always kept Keith coming back. It was more than just something, though, it was every little thing that made up this huge thing now in his life known as Hunk. It was the way Hunk’s head snapped up from sweeping, re-stocking, bagging groceries or whatever he seemed to be doing that day when Keith arrived.  It was the way Hunk secretly let Keith re-fill his slushies when Shiro wasn’t looking. How they’d shoot the breeze, and how Hunk would make Keith laugh. Not just a forced chuckle or even a snicker, but full guttural laughter. Hunk’s smile, the way warmth radiated from his very being like the sun. He wasn’t fiery, like Keith was, Hunk’s words never scorched others or burned the people they reached. They were welcome and jovial, their small talk was what made  Keith get up in the morning, and what kept him coming back even when the blazing heat of summer was exchanged for cool winds and changing leaves. Hunk never treated him differently or pushed him away. Even when Keith did stupid things like miss the punchline, or fiddle with his cup too much, he never laughed or chastised him. Even that time Keith accidentally followed Hunk into the bathroom when trying to ask him out to lunch on his break. (Keith never got to ask him out, once he realized where he had followed Hunk he skittered off back home for the day out of embarrassment.) 

  
  


On a particularly nasty day, when the rain was beating down, soaking Keith to the bone in just the few feet he had sprinted through, he was greeted by his personal ray of sunshine with a complimentary coffee from the break room. (One of their little secrets.) They made small talk while Hunk stocked shelves. Keith ranting about his professors, they just didn’t understand space like he did. Keith let Hunk in on his alien conspiracy theories and for once, someone didn’t judge but listened whole-heartedly. Hunk had come to realize that Keith was even more than he had ever imagined, the employee showed up to work more, took shorter breaks, and just seemed generally more happy on the days Keith was around. Which is why Shiro let him goof around so often, except for those off days when there were a few people in the ancient store. On those days Keith would just wander around aimlessly and steal glances at Hunk working hard. Keith grabbed his purchase of the day off of a random shelf. He had decided earlier that he would pick up a bag of chips for Lance, that would get him to shut up about his crush of the week for a bit once he got home. Once Keith got to the front of the line, Hunk’s co-worker gave him a knowing look and switched places so he could check Keith out. (Both literally and metaphorically) It had become routine for the both of them, their daily interactions. So, needless to say, when one of them missed out it was painfully obvious to everyone around them. 

  
  


The next day, when it grew later and later and further into Hunk’s shift with no sign of Keith, the big man began to get a bit anxious. Hunk heard the familiar sound of a bell ringing and his head shot up. Hunk met eyes with the guy he remembered as ‘Lance’. They had met the same day with Keith, and their mutual friend spoke of Lance often, all of his antics and how they lived together. A spark of jealousy ignited in Hunk’s heart, but he quickly brushed it off. The tall guy waved halfheartedly at Hunk. He seemed a bit tired by the way he shuffled his feet, and when Lance finally came to the checkout, Hunk could clearly see the bags under his eyes.

 

“So, uh, what’s goin’ on?” Hunk tried to make small talk while scanning a few sports drinks and multiple cans of soup. Man this guy was buying a lot of soup.

 

“Having to take care of stupid Keith, that idiot went and got himself sick, as usual.” Lance squinted at the price on his screen and pulled out his wallet. “And wasted all his money too, jerk owes me. Shouldn’t have quit that job up at the Uni.” Hunk’s expression contorted from surprised, to worried, to annoyed all in one breath.

 

“You shouldn’t talk about him like that. You should be glad you’re there to take care of your boyfriend when he’s sick! You’re supposed to have each other’s backs!” Hunk lectured, he took Lance’s cash and pulled the change out of his register, trying to keep himself composed at his workplace. There was a solid ten seconds of dead silence between the two, before lance bust out into a fit of laughter. Tears sprung to his eyes as he doubled over, unable to control himself at the hilarity of Hunk’s previous statement. “What’s so funny?” Hunk demanded, squinting over at Lance.

 

“You… you called Keith my… my fucking…” Lance tried to spit it out, but the harder he thought about the other boy's accusation, the harder he laughed. “Keith isn’t my boyfriend! Holy shit! We’re roommates, we go to school together.” Lance wiped a tear from his eye.

 

“Wait, you two aren’t dating?” The brown eyed boy stared at Lance in wonder.

 

“Hell no!” Lance spat, handing the money back to Hunk. “I’d rather die.” Hunk restrained himself from giving Lance a lesson on how lucky one would be to call Keith their boyfriend but stopped himself in his tracks. “Actually, I wanted to give this to you.” Lance fiddled around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. It looked like it was torn off the corner of a notebook, and in neat handwriting, there was a series of numbers written across it. “It’s Keith’s number.” He informed Hunk. “Figured maybe he wouldn’t feel so miserable puking his guts out all day if he had someone to talk to.” Lance’s phone went off in his back pocket. “That’s probably him yelling at me to hurry up right now. I’ll see ya later, bro.”

 

The end of Hunk’s shift couldn’t have come sooner. The employees of Altea-mart had never seen the man move as fast as he did to close his register and clock out that day. Right when Hunk made his way safely to his car he pulled out his cell and the sliver of paper he was given earlier that day. He sends the number a text.

 

(H)-Hey, how ya feelin’?

 

Hunk realizes Keith probably has no idea what his phone number is.

 

(H)-It’s Hunk

(H)-The guy from Altea-mart?

(H)-Lance gave me ur number, sorry.

 

Alone in his car, Hunk smacks his head against the seat. He tries to think of how he can take his messages back so Keith never sees them when his phone buzzes.

 

(K)-Hey, Big Man. I’m fine, just busy. How about you?

(H)-I’m ok, ur roommate came in today, Lance? He said u were feeling under the weather :(

 

Normally, Keith has a strong disdain for emojis, maybe due to Lance’s excessive use of random ones in every damn text he sent. Coming from Hunk, though, the emoji seemed so sincere it was actually pretty cute.

 

(K)-That ass. I told him to not go around telling everyone.

(K)-I’m fine, really, just a bug. I should be better in a day or so.

(H)-Thats gr8 to hear!!! It was kinda lonely w/out u in the store today

 

Keith’s heart thumped at the thought of Hunk missing him.

 

(K)-Couldn’t have made that much of a difference, I’m sure you got a lot more work done without me there bothering you.

(H)-U could never bother me

(H)-swear.

(H)-He also mentioned u quitting ur job?

 

Hunk didn’t mean to pry, he was just a curious guy by nature and if he could help in any way he would try his damnedest to do it. Keith cursed Lance and his big mouth.

 

(K)-Uh, yeah

(K)-I wasn’t feeling it. Kept saying I needed to ‘respect authority’ and generally treating me like shit. So, I decided I wasn’t going to do it anymore.

(H)-oh

 

The text messages stopped for a few minutes, then Keith’s phone buzzed once again.

 

(H)-Next time u come in I have a surprise 4u. So get better soon! Get some rest. Night!</p>

  
  


Lance had never seen someone recover from sickness at such an astounding rate. Maybe it wasn’t that Keith had actually recovered, per say, but that a fire had been lit under his ass and Keith desperately needed to see Hunk again. The dark haired teen had been up thinking about him all night, reading over their texts and wondering endlessly about what Hunk could possibly have for him. Which was why, the next morning he made his way out the door, running on about 3 hours of sleep and a powerade for breakfast. (Keith wasn’t ready to try his luck keeping down food just yet) Keith was stopped by a slender hand on his shoulder.

 

“Dude, It’s way too soon for you to be going out. You try to drive all the way over there and you’ll blow chunks for sure.” Keith shrugged his hand off.

 

“I’ll be fine.” He insisted, reaching for the keys. Lance beat him to it, though.

 

“You’re not driving.” The taller boy held the keys high over his head.

 

“Then you drive me.” Keith argued.

 

“What? Why should I do that?”

 

“I’ll let you borrow my car for the day.”Now Keith had his attention. Lance whipped out his phone, already making plans.

 

“Deal.”

  
  


Keith would have been better off driving himself, or even walking for that matter. Lance wasn’t a bad driver, he just wasn’t used to Red’s sensitive pedals or the way she was ready to take off at a moments notice and speed off into the sunset. Because of this, Keith’s turn at being passenger was less than ideal. The car’s constant stop and go motion did nothing to help his nausea, it was a blessing when Lance finally dropped him off and Keith felt the cool air conditioning of Altea-Mart caress his skin. The slender boy pulled his jacket tighter around him, he needed to stay warm if he was going to get feeling better any time soon. Though, no amount of clothing made him feel warmer than what he heard next.

 

“Keith! Buddy!” Keith didn’t have to turn around, the fluttering feeling in his stomach told him exactly who was calling his name so sweetly. He wouldn’t have been able to, anyways, because before anything else he was swept up into a near back breaking hug. All the air was forced out of Keith’s lungs, but that didn’t matter to him. He was too busy being blissfully wrapped in hunk’s arms, his feet hovering slightly off of the ground, his back pressed tightly against the soft pooch of Hunk’s tummy. The hug was short-lived though. Hunk and underestimated his own strength, he didn’t mean to crush the poor sickly boy, but it felt as if he were doing just that. The giant ‘hunk’ of a man let Keith down gently, careful not to do any more damage. “How ya feeling? I hope I didn’t squish you too much, guess I don’t understand my own strength. It felt weird without you here yesterday, there was this one thing that happened yesterday that was so funny. It may be one of those ‘had to be there things though’ but anyways , oh my gosh, so shiro was-” Hunk cut his rambling short when he saw Keith’s eyelids drooping. 

 

Hunk took notice of the way the man, who normally held himself very well, was slouching. His pale skin was tinged green, and the bags under his eyes were turning a slight shade of purple. Sickness was not a look he wanted to see on Keith ever again, Hunk decided. Though, he was still beautiful either way. “You’re still sick. You should have stayed home until you were better!” he scolded, Keith looked away from him, eyes firmly planted to the ground.

 

“Figured I shouldn’t have kept you waiting. You seemed like you had something important for me.”  Keith admitted. A sigh escaped Hunk’s lips. The big man slipped out of his apron. Keith watched in confusion as Hunk walked off, grabbing a few things and confronting Shiro at the checkout. Keith fidgeted anxiously when their gaze was pointed towards him. After a few more words Hunk paid for his items and collected the bags. He met the other boy back at the entrance.

 

“Let’s go.” Hunk demanded. He guided Keith by the shoulder to a yellow car that looked much too small for the towering giant.

 

“Where are we going?” Keith questioned, sliding into the passenger's seat nonetheless.

 

“I’m taking you home and making you something you can keep down.” Hunk informed, putting his key into the ignition. “Now, which way am I headed?”

  
  


Once the two of them has crossed the threshold of Keith’s shared apartment, the sickly boy was overcome with embarrassment. He had not taken notice of the complete disaster their apartment was left in before rushing out of the front door just a bit earlier. Clothes were strewn about haphazardly throughout their den, dishes were piled in the sink, overflowing onto their counters.Essentially, it looked exactly like what one would imagine an apartment shared by two college guys would look like. Keith heard Hunk take a deep breath.

 

“Okay, you go lay down. I’ll be back there in a minute.” Hunk’s large hands gently patted Keith’s tense shoulder. Keith obeyed, too tired to disagree. He slithered back to his bedroom, shoving things in any hiding spot he could find to make the place more bearable. Once Keith’s head hit the pillow, he was out. When Keith awoke, he had completely forgotten about his visitor. Needless to say, the boy nearly had a heart attack when Hunk  lightly knocked at the door, peeking in before entering with a bowl full of steaming hot soup.  “I didn’t expect you to wake up so soon!” Hunk grinned from ear to ear, setting the bowl down on the counter next to Keith.

 

“I… don’t sleep much.” Keith informed him, rubbing his tired eyes. His stomach growled at the sight and smell of his dinner, and before Keith had even realized it, he was wolfing the food down. No food for well over 24 hours will do that to you.

 

“Woah woahwoahwoahwoahwoahwoah-” Hunk snatched the bowl from Keith’s hungry grasp. The look of sheer defeat on his face was heartbreaking. Hunk felt his heart do flip flops in his chest. “I know you’re hungry, but you gotta take it slow. You want to keep it down, don’t you?” Keeping Keith’s dinner away from him was hard enough for Hunk, but it became near impossible when he looked into those puppydog eyes and watched the way his bottom lip puckered out into a pout, much like a child would. There were still so many sides to Keith Hunk hadn’t discovered. “Look, just, munch on these okay?” Hunk handed Keith a couple of plain crackers. The boy nibbled on them, pretty smug at the fact his pouting worked.

 

“Did you make that?” Keith gazed up at Hunk with large purple eyes, crumbs sticking to the sides of his mouth.

 

“The crackers? Uh, no I got those at the store.” Hunk plopped down in the rolly chair located by a desk at the far end of the room. He fiddled with the knick-knacks and papers on the desk, skimming over the essays which had a lot of… space-y terms and vocabulary Hunk wasn’t familiar with. Build the rocket, sure, have Hunk ride it into space? Nah, he enjoyed his feet being planted firmly on the ground. Keith snorted.

 

“No, the soup.” The crackers were long gone, but the soup sat patiently on Keith’s night stand.  The boy reached for it, earning a raised eyebrow from his friend across the room.  Keith frowned, earning a sigh and a wave of permission to dig in from hunk. That is just what he did.

 

“Oh, yeah. Yeah yeah. It’s kind of a family recipe, make it every time I feel under the weather.” Hunk put on a pair of glasses that were discarded on the edge of his desk. He quickly took them off. “Are these yours? How do you see without them! You’re going to hurt yourself not wearing them.” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“They give me a headache, I don’t like them. Besides, I have contacts if I really need them.” He placed the empty soup bowl back on his nightstand. “So, what were you going to talk to me about earlier?” Keith was being a bit impatient, but he couldn’t stand waiting any longer. He needed to know what Hunk had for him, or he was going to go insane. The big man fired a paper plane in Keith’s direction. He tried not to look disappointed, but it was written all over his face. “A paper plane?”

 

“Open it.” Keith did as he was told.

 

“A job application… folded into a paper plane.” Somehow this didn’t make Keith feel any better.

 

“Okay, so, hear me out.” Hunk started, “I talked to Shiro, who talked to our boss Allura, who put a good word in to her boss, Coran.” Keith raised an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘and?’ “anyways, I thought since you didn’t have a job, you could come work at Altea-mart! All you have to do is fill out the paperwork for, you know, legal reasons, and they said you could start on Monday! Shiro even said he’d schedule me to train you!” Keith stared in wonder. How Hunk managed all that was beyond him, though the longer he looked at his smiling face, the clearer it became to him.

 

“That’s…” Hunk leaned forward in anticipation, “That’s awesome!” Keith hopped out of bed a bit too quickly and send his head whirling, he laid back down to avoid vertigo and keep his delicious soup in his stomach where it belonged. “Hand me a pen, will ya, Big Guy?”  Hunk obliged, sending a blue pen his way. Keith began feverishly filling out the application. He didn’t hear the other boy leave to clean up the mess he had made cooking earlier, he was too caught up in writing his information down as quickly and legibly as possible.

 

When Hunk came back into Keith’s room, he was already passed out again, pen hanging loosely in one hand, his completed application in the other. Hunk silently reached over,loosening Keith’s fingers from the now crumpled paper. It would have to do. Keith’s fingers were so long and slender, his pale hand contrasted Hunks much larger, more tanned one. His hands were a bit calloused, Hunk could only assume it was from the assortment of knives strewn about the room that Keith would speak of sometimes. His hands still managed to be soft, though, and they sent Hunk’s heart a-twitter. Hunk remembered the first time he held Keith’s hand, the first time they met, the first time Hunk looked into those Violet eyes and felt the warm swelling of love filling his big heart. Keith was like a fire that he swore was going to swallow him whole every time they touched accidentally, every time he smiled, or got carried away in his theories. His very presence alone was enough to start up the familiar blaze. Hunk let himself be selfish, gently laying Keith’s hand down to instead push the hair sticking to Keith away from his clammy forehead. He allowed his tanned fingers to trail along the other’s sculpted face, over the high points of his cheeks, the sharp line of his jaw, all the way to his chin and then… Hunk felt disgusted at himself. Staring longingly at the lips of someone he considered to be one of his best friends. Hunk forced himself away, taking the application and himself away from this temptation. His thoughts were plagued with images of Keith. Keith, Keith, Keith. Hunk pinched himself. He needed to start working on some self control when it came to Keith and his personal space, otherwise, this whole ‘working together’ thing was going to be a lot more difficult than he first anticipated.

  
  


It didn’t take long for both boys to realize that, yes, working together was very much more difficult than either of them had ever imagined. The first Monday of training together had started off in all seriousness, which later turned to jokes and small talk like normal, but the longer the two were together the closer they gravitated towards each other. Their hands would brush, they were constantly tripping over one another, bumping into each other, looking into the other’s eyes directly for far too long. It was like this for the entirety of Keith’s two days of training. The boy would take feeling like his heart was constantly about to hop right out of his chest at any moment over what was in store for him after those few, blissful, Hunk-filled days. What exactly was in store for the raven-haired man? Only complete isolation in a large parking lot, chasing down carts all day. When Keith was moved to the parking lot both boys were shocked, but no matter how much Hunk complained he got the same response from Shiro.

 

“Someone’s got to do it. Remember, you are at work, after all.”

 

Though, if anyone knew the slightest bit about the pair, they would know that they would find a way around any obstacle. Especially when it came to one another. Needless to say, a certain lanky troublemaker, along with a bespectacled speed demon frequented the parking lot, scattering carts to the farthest corners of the universe in such magnitude that it was just far too much for just one employee to handle. Thus, on most days, the duo could be found in the parking lot together, making games out of their buggy collecting job and just generally enjoying each others company. The duo was greeted with a particularly heinous parking lot one chilly autumn morning, and wasted no time getting straight to ‘work’ on it together. The rules were simple, whoever got the most carts in to their respective return stations was the victor. The game ended when the parking lot was buggy-free. Keith was in the lead by more than a hand full, his nimble body and incredible speed leaving Hunk far behind. This was all going to change though, if things went according to plan. Hunk gathered a large amount of carts into a single file line, using his incredible strength to his advantage while also making up for his lack of speed. He scaled the parking lot, gaining momentum as his goal came into view. This was it, the final countdown, bottom of the 9th, bases loaded. Everything came to a crashing stop, though, when a slender black figure popped into view. The stray cat was a blur crossing Hunk’s view, but it was enough to send him reeling, losing his grip on the carts and toppling onto the ground, barely missing the animal. Keith heard the commotion and swung around to see Hunk lying face flat on the pavement. The agile man dashed to his fallen comrade, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  
  


“Big man? Hunk? You okay buddy?” The fallen warrior sat up straight, hissing at the stinging pain on his hands and knees.

 

“Yeah, I’m good, totally fine.” He assured Keith. The other man didn’t seem to be buying it. “I swear, I’m good, just a scratch.”

 

“Let me see.” Keith urged.

 

“Keith, I promise it’s-”

 

“Please.” Keith pleaded, lavender eyes filled to the brim with worry. How was Hunk supposed to say no when Keith was asking so (cutely) kindly? He showed his hands to Keith, palms up, displaying the tattered skin of his palms for him, stretching his legs out to showcase his matching torn Khakis and knees, too, while he was at it. Before either boy’s realized what was  happening, Hunk felt the warmth of Keith’s lips pressed against his slight wounds. His eyes were closed, long eyelashes brushing against the palms of Hunk’s hands. Keith opened his eyes, looking intently at Hunk. “We aren’t playing that game anymore. I don’t want you getting hurt.” Just as quickly as the sensation of Keith lips had come they were gone again. He carefully let go of the other’s hand. “I’ll finish up out here for now, I’m glad you’re okay.” There was no room for argument, Keith had already taken over Hunk’s disheveled line of carts and began herding them into their pen.

  
  


The rest of the day went fairly smoothly, despite the fact that Keith and Hunk seemed to be avoiding each other. Once Hunk had cleaned and bandaged his few scrapes up, he went back to working a few positions indoors, while Keith stuck to the outside of the shop, tidying things, greeting people, herding carts. The work day came to a close and the two said rushed goodbyes, eager to be on their way so the two could finally be alone with their thoughts. Once they were both safe in their own homes, they cursed themselves for acting the way they did all day.

 

“I can’t believe I did that! I’m so stupid!” Keith growled, tossing a knife into his dart board with deadly accuracy. Hunk wasn’t doing much better, sitting in his room, anxiously fiddling with a few small machines he was fixing for a friend. He wondered what exactly this meant for the two of them. The gesture seemed like it was meant to be taken romantically, but did Keith really mean that? Did he reciprocate his feelings? Was he even aware? Hunk looked over at the cellphone he had discarded on his desk. It wasn’t too late yet, about seven o’clock, Hunk wondered if Keith had eaten yet, or if he was even available. He forced himself to send the text, before his common sense got the better of him.

 

(H)-Hey.

 

Damn, Hunk, how original of you. He was about to toss the phone away from him again in frustration when it vibrated in his hand.

 

(K)-Hi.

 

Hunk wasted no time before replying.

 

(H)-I wanted to talk to you. You doing anything tonight?

 

Keith’s heart nearly leapt into his throat, he didn’t know wether to do a victory dance or pray for the sudden memory loss of his friend. No, even if Hunk didn’t feel the same way, Keith couldn’t bare being so secretive with him.

 

(K)-I wanted to talk, too.

(K)-Lance is borrowing red, though, so it looks like I’m stuck here.

(H)-I’ll be there in 15.

 

Fifteen minutes?!

 

“Fuck!” Keith cursed, springing from his bed to get ready (hopefully) before Hunk arrived at his doorstep.

  
  


Thankfully, once Hunk did arrive Keith was mostly ready. He pulled his jet black hair into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, throwing a beanie on as well for good measure, Hopefully Hunk wouldn’t notice the disheveled state of his hair. He hadn’t gotten to take his after work shower yet. When Keith answered the door, Hunk became hyper aware of just how beautiful he was. The bigger guy wasn’t sure whether it was due to the obvious flush of his crush’s cheeks, or the small ponytail flipping out from under his knitted cap, or maybe the way the boy’s flannel draped loosely around his small, slender waist, showing the smallest bit of ivory skin across his collarbones. Maybe it was everything. To Hunk, every inch of Keith was ethereal, just as he was to Keith as well. This was the first time Keith had seen Hunk out of uniform, the varsity jacket he was wearing fit him in just the right way, it was probably tailored special just for the hunk of a man. Keith took notice of the insignia on the side of it, which read, ‘Voltron University Rugby’ with a “15’” patch right under it. That was Keith’s school. He would have to ask Hunk about that later. The next thing the love stricken boy noticed was the fact that Hunk wore cargo shorts, despite the chill of fall that was creeping in as the evening grew closer to its end. He must be so warm, Keith noted, remembering his snug embrace he had been wrapped in that one time he was sick. When Hunk started leading Keith away from his home, he couldn’t help but notice a third thing about him. That being how muscular his back and legs were, and how those strong legs lead upwards to an amazingly firm-

 

“Here it is!” Hunk announced, gesturing to the restaurant Keith didn’t even realize they had been heading towards. They couldn’t have been travelling for more than 10 minutes, how had they arrived so quickly? And how had the two of them walked in awkward silence the entire way? “When I brought you home that day, I noticed how close you were to my- Well, here just let me show you.” The door flung open and the smell of tropical fruit and grilled meat wafted into Keith’s nose.

 

“E komo mai!” greeted a cheery voice from behind the counter. Keith didn’t recognize the foreign language, but he did recognize the almond-shaped eyes and strong chin of the woman greeting them, they were the same features displayed by the boy next to him. All of Keith’s questions were answered when the woman ran into Hunk’s waiting arms. “My beautiful boy.” She cooed, getting on her very tip-toes to pinch his cheeks. The woman turned her attention to Keith, “and who is this?” Hunk put his arm around his mother.

 

“Mama, this is Keith. Keith, this is my mama, Alani.” Hunk introduced them. Hunk’s mother reached out and held Keith’s hands gently.

 

“Pleasure to meet you Keith.”

 

“Nice to- uh, meet you too… Hunks… mom.” Keith trailed off, his skin started to prickle a bit at the over all maternal vibe that just seemed to seep from Alani’s every poor. She chuckled, releasing Keith’s hand.

 

“Just call me mama.” She assured. Keith’s heart clenched at the mere thought, though he felt a bit happy as well. He never felt so accepted by someone instantly.

 

“Well don’t go forgetting me.” another voice called from the back of the diner. A taller blonde woman appeared from a storage room, placing a crate of fruit down before racing over to shake Keith’s hand.

 

“I’m Amanda, Hunk’s mom.” Keith’s head spun. He didn’t even quite grasp the concept of having one mother, much less two. Amanda chuckled. “Don’t try and tell me you haven’t seen gay people before after hangin’ out with Hunk so much. Don’t let this beefcake fool ya, he’s about as straight as a rainbow. Why, just the other day he was going on and on at dinner about his dreamy co-worker-”

 

“Mom!” Hunk interrupted, his face glowing a deep shade of crimson.

 

“Oh, sorry.” Amanda grinned sheepishly. “Well, it was nice to meet you.” The blonde rushed back to the safety of their storage room. The three left standing shared a deafening silence.

 

“So… Who’s hungry?” Alani grinned, she led the two boys to a booth near the window and skittered back to the kitchen to prepare dinner for her guests. Silence settled in once again. This time Keith was the first to speak.

 

“Those are your moms?” He asked, though the answer was painfully obvious. Keith cursed himself for asking such a stupid question.

 

“Yeah, sorry, they can be a bit overwhelming, you know how moms are.” Hunk was still blushing from Amanda’s slip-up earlier

 

“Not really.” Keith muttered, staring out the window, he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection and decided to look at the table instead. Hunk began to speak but he was cut off.

 

“Eat up!”

 

Once Alani’s home-cooked meal hit the table, nothing else really mattered. It was like nothing Keith had ever tasted before, so flavorful and amazing, any ‘delicious’ food he had eaten in the past paled in comparison, and hunk got to eat this every day! Keith couldn’t help but be jealous. Despite his mom’s wishes Hunk had to cut the visit short, her maternal instincts told her to let her son go, he was a man now, and he knew how to handle himself much to her disdain.

 

“Keith, honey, next time you come over I will show you ALL of Hunk’s little baby pictures! I have so many cute stories to share!” Alani promised, pinching her son’s cheek.

 

“I’ll hold you to that!” Keith chucked before being nearly forced out the door by Hunk, who felt that he had been mortified enough for one night. The phone in Keith’s pocket vibrated. When he read the text message he received, the pale boy groaned in frustration. 

 

“Fucking, Lance.” He cursed, it took everything in him to keep from throwing his phone.

 

“Woah, Keith, what’s up?” Hunk reached a worried hand out to his friend.

 

“Nothing new. Just going home to an empty house as usual. With no Red it looks like I’ll be stuck alone again all night. The internet bill hasn’t been paid either, ugh!” His gloved hands were balled into fists. Hunk looked thoughtfully up at the night sky.

 

“Who said you had to go home?” He met Keith’s eyes, which were wide with shock at first, but softened after a moment.

 

“You’d waste your time hanging out with me?” Hunk slid his hand down Keith’s arm, grasping his hand gently.

 

“I told you before, you could never bother me. Come on, I know just where to go.”

The walk to the park Hunk played at so often as a child was luckily not much farther than the one from Keith’s apartment complex to his mother’s restaurant. It was just the way he had remembered it. Just a bit, uh, smaller. He was still a child at heart, though, so no size difference was going to keep Hunk from playing on his old favorite swingset. “Come on, sit down!” He insisted, giving the chains a little jingle. Keith couldn’t say no to that face. He obediently took his spot  in front of Hunk. Keith swung lightly back and forth, he wasn’t the best at conversation today, a million thoughts rushed through his mind, but there were no words he felt he could speak. Hunk pushed Keith a bit higher on the swing.

 

“Soooo…” Hunk trailed off.

 

“So?” Keith swung his legs in rhythm with the pressure on his lower back.

 

“What’s on your mind?”

 

“Stuff?” Keith shrugged.

 

“What kind of stuff?”

 

“I-I don’t know, a lot of things.”

 

“Things like…?” Keith dug his feet into the ground.

 

“You sure have a lot of questions today.” He commented before starting his back and forth pattern up again.

 

“I’m sorry I’m just, uh.” Hunk searched for the right words. “I feel bad for what I said earlier, you know, the whole mom thing? I just want to make it up to you. I feel like an ass. I figured we could talk it out.” He admitted.

 

“5 questions then.” Keith wagered.

 

“5… what?”

 

“Five for you, and five for me. We take turns.” He explained. Keith knew it was a silly game from back in the dark ages of middle school, but that’s all he could think of. He wanted to make Hunk happy, and if getting to know him would do that, that was what would happen.

 

“Uh, okay, so me first?” Keith nodded. “All right… Favorite color.” He knew it was lame, but god damn it he couldn’t think of anything else.

 

“Red. What’s with the letter jacket?”

 

“Oh, this thing? I was an engineering major up at the university a few years back, but all they wanted me to do was play rugby.” Hunk spat the word, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. I ended up getting my degree, though, some good it’s done me. I’m still working the same grocery store job I was in high school, and now I have loans to pay, too.”

 

“That’s rough buddy.” Keith sympathized. “Your turn.”

 

“Uhh…” Hunk started to sweat a bit. “Did… did it weird you out?” The cryptic question only confused Keith.

 

“Did what weird me out?”

 

“Finding out I’m… gay? Wait, was that a question?” Hunk panicked.

 

“Was that?” Keith countered. They both laughed at themselves. Keith swung himself higher and higher. “Not at all… I was, kind of relieved actually. Now it’s my turn, how much air do you think I can get by jumping off this thing?” Keith launched himself forward once again.

 

“Wait, what? Keith, no! No no nononono!” Hunk grabbed at Keith’s feet. “Keith! You’ll hurt yourself!” He insisted, trying to stop the daredevil before he went too far.

 

“I’m doing it! In three…” Keith flew back, “...Two!” he propelled himself forward, slender legs preparing for takeoff. “One!” Right when he was about to send himself back into the air, strong arms wrapped tightly around him. Keith was stopped in his tracks. Time seemed to slow, the whole world went silent. Only the two of them were allowed in this world they created together. Hunks arms held tighter, he laid his head on Keith’s shoulder. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely louder than a whisper.

 

“My question now.” Hunk’s warm breath grazed Keith’s ear. He felt goosebumps creeping down his neck, all the way across his body. 

 

“Is it alright if we stay here for a while?” His voice wavered, he sounded as if he wasn’t even sure of what he was saying. Keith nuzzled his nose against Hunk’s cheek, nodding slightly. They sat their in each other’s arms, enjoying the sound of one another’s breath, the pounding of their hearts in their ears. Hunk felt eyelashes brush against his warm face, he opened his eyes to see Keith’s staring back into them.

 

“Now it’s my turn.” His hand left the swing’s silver chain, finding a new place caressing a certain someone’s tanned cheek. Keith took a deep breath. “I want to… could I…” Their breath mingled, creating a puff of smoke between them. A blinding light struck both boys, making them separate and raise their hands in defense.

 

“Park hours are over. Go home.” A bruteish voice called. A deputy, probably on patrol to make sure people weren’t up to no good. Only then did they realize how late it had become (it was almost midnight) and that they were in the middle of a children’s playground. It was now painfully apparent to the two of them how visible their display of affection was. They both shuffled off with quick apologies, embarrassed out of their minds. When they were out of deputy territory, Hunk, with newfound confidence, reached out and took Keith’s hand in his own. The smile he got in return set his whole body aflame. Keith laced their fingers, butterflies fluttering in his stomach, their eyes were twinkling like the stars hovering in the sky just beyond their reach. They wanted to spend every moment together like this, carefree, just the two of them. The walk back home could have lasted an eternity, and it still wouldn’t have been long enough. 

  
  


They reached Keith’s doorstep all too soon. Hunk’s thumb stroked the other’s slender hand, he looked into those violet eyes. Keith felt as if he were going to be drawn in all over again, meeting Hunk’s warm gaze. His lips quivered.

 

“So…” Hunk trailed off. “You never got to finish your question.” his eyes flicked away, then quickly back at Keith. He released Hunk’s warm hand and reached around his strong neck, Keith had to get on his toes to wrap himself around Hunk fully. He pulled the larger boy down towards him a bit too roughly. They collided, noses smashing against each other.

 

“Shit!” Keith yelled, holding his throbbing nose. “Ugh- I messed it all up! I’m such an idiot. I’m sorry Hunk, I- I wanted it to be…”

 

“Perfect?” Hunk chimed in, taking a step back towards Keith, who had retreated in shock, pressing himself against the front door to his shared apartment.

 

“Exactly! But it’s just that I’ve never- Well I never tried to before, but, I just haven’t ever-”

 

“You’ve... never kissed anyone before?” Hunk finished his sentence again. The large man leaned against the door, his parted lips hovering just out of the smaller one’s reach. Keith nodded, he looked up at Hunk through thick, dark, eyelashes. Even in the dark their eyes glimmered, understanding everything about each other in that moment. Hunk leaned in. “Me neither.” he admitted. 

 

Their lips touched, so softly they almost couldn’t feel it at first. Keith slid his hands up Hunk’s chest, trailing his fingers around his neck. He could feel Hunk’s pulse, his own heart dancing feverishly in his bosom. The kiss deepened, strong arms pressed them close together, having moved from the door to Keith’s slender waist. The slight man felt himself being lifted off the ground, his feet hovered just above the pavement, but he wasn’t afraid. Keith knew in this moment nothing could harm the two of them, so he let Hunk sweep him off of his feet, just as he had been every moment since that first encounter. Their heads were spinning, emptied of everything but thoughts of one another. They took in each other’s scent, the feeling of their lips locked together gently, the soft breaths and loving sounds escaping them in the fleeting moments between kisses. Keith was the first to actually pull away, the combination of Hunk’s strong arms, soft kisses and the swelling feeling blossoming in his chest leaving him breathless. Hunk brushed the hair away from his lover’s face. His lips leaving a trail of kisses along his forehead, the bridge of his nose, scattering along his cheeks, and down his neck. Hunk took advantage of every inch of skin he was offered. Keith cupped Hunk’s flushed face and brought their lips together once again. But like all good things, their kissing had to come to an end. That end was brought upon by a cranky college student, who grumbled the whole way up to his apartment door, groaning in disgust when he found the scene that awaited him there.

 

“Seriously?” Lance snapped. “Get a room.” Lance pushed past Keith so he could unlock their door and get as far away from the couple as humanly possible. “I’m locking the deadbolt when I go to bed. You have five minutes.” he threatened before disappearing into their apartment.

 

“What’s his deal?” Hunk pouted. The kissing had ceased with Lance’s arrival, but he still held Keith snug against him. He wasn’t able to let go of him just yet.

 

“Probably struck out.” Keith guessed, it must have been a lucky one because they could hear Lance cussing Keith out from inside.

 

“Ah, I can’t blame him, I’d be pretty torn up if I was rejected too.” Hunk nuzzled Keith’s nose, causing the pale boy to chuckle.

 

“I’m sure you’d be fine.” Keith teased, giving him a coy look.

 

“Yeah, right. I don’t know what I’d do without you…” He kissed Keith’s forehead.

 

“Same here.” Keith admitted, returning the kiss on the tip of Hunk’s nose. They pulled away from each other. Hunk reached for Keith’s hand.

 

“See you at work?” Keith raised Hunk’s hand to his lips, pouting a bit.

 

“If I can wait that long.” The tanned boy knew he had it bad now. Just that look had him willing to do anything and everything to make Keith happy.

 

“How about I swing by tomorrow and we can pick up where we left off at my place? Dinner and a movie?” The offer seemed to be satisfactory, a smile pulled at the corner of Keith’s now swollen lips.

 

“Deal. Tomorrow then?”

 

“Tomorrow then.”

 

The boys exchanged one final kiss goodbye. Keith slipped into his apartment, resting against the door once inside. He re-lived the night over and over in his mind, unable to keep the goofy grin off of his face.

 

“You’re disgusting.” Lance muttered, sitting on the couch with a tub of ice cream and a pile of blankets. Keith snickered.

 

“You’re just bitter.” He stuck his tongue out at lance before making his way into his room and underneath the covers. Nothing would ruin this moment for him. Meanwhile, Hunk sat in his car, hands gripping the steering wheel. He erupted into joyful cheers whooping and singing at the top of his lungs to every song on the radio all the way home. Once safely inside, he opened up his phone. He pulled up a text window to Keith.

 

(H)-Do I still have another question?

 

The three dots signaling that a reply was being written appeared onscreen almost immediately.

 

(K)-Shoot, Big man.

(H)-Does this make you my boyfriend now?

 

Keith laughed softly to himself, typing his response quickly.

 

(K)-Is that really a question.

(K)-Go to sleep, you Hunk.

(K)-I’m sorry, I meant my Hunk.

  
  
Neither boy ever thought a day would come where reality was even better than their dreams, but now there was no way to even imagine a way they could be happier. All because of a wrong turn, a bad night, a missed exit. Everything began because of that very first happy little accident in that old worn out supermarket. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
